This invention relates to shelving and is particularly beneficial when used for refrigerator shelving and the like.
Articles containing liquid are spillable and, as is their nature, do spill. In the context of a refrigerator, such a spill will typically soak into other items and contaminate other foods. Extensive cleanup efforts will commonly be required for spills, which often flow downward from one shelf to another shelf. Containment measures for limiting the area of such a spill are, therefore, desirable. One such measure is a spill resistant shelf that contains a spill to the shelf upon which the spill occurs to minimize, if not preclude, downward flow of the spill.
Previously known spill resistant shelves include a shelf with a two-piece "picture frame" rim circumscribing the periphery of a shelf panel, which may commonly be made of glass or the like. A separate seal, such as a silicone gasket or the like, is commonly provided between the frame and the top of the glass panel for liquid spill resistance. Such prior known spill resistant shelves do not, however, resolve and may actually promote yet another problem, namely, sanitation. Items which are spilled upon such shelves commonly seep between the shelf panel and the surrounding frame to a location which is difficult, if not impossible, to clean. Thus, an unsanitary condition readily develops when food stuffs become trapped between the shelf panel and the frame members of the known shelf structures, even in spite of the sanitary benefits of using a glass panel, for example.
Another consideration in designing refrigerator shelving is the air circulation or convection through the compartment. Air circulation is desirable to maintain a homogenous temperature distribution and avoid thermal stratification in which a range of temperature zones develop in the compartment with the coldest zone at the bottom and the warmest zone at the top. Thus, the structure of an effective refrigerator design will typically include air passage spaces at either side of and behind each solid shelf panel.
Air passage spaces in a refrigerator directly decrease the available shelf surface area, however. Framing structures that surround refrigerator shelving as discussed above, also reduce available shelf area. A reduction in shelf area directly reduces the storage or holding capacity of the associated refrigerator, or freezer. While the reduction in shelf area attributable to air passage around the shelf perimeter is dictated by thermodynamic performance, however, the area lost to perimeter framing results from structural and design limitations imposed by accommodating the convenience of a spill resistant shelf.
Finally, ease of use and aesthetic considerations are important to today's purchasing market and are competitive elements for manufacturers. In response, designers are specifying uncluttered and bright visual appearances with simple, clean lines which enhance utility and appearance. Modular shelving systems which enhance versatility are also desired. Previously known shelf assemblies that are directed to these concerns typically include multiple parts, which are subject to loss and which require skilled or sophisticated labor to assemble, however. Further, cracks and crevices inherently defined between adjacent, assembled parts provide food traps and lead to sanitation or cleaning problems for the user as discussed above. Thus, there is clearly a need for a spill resistant shelf providing clean lines with ease of cleaning and modular adaptability to various storage tasks.